WHO: Sora, Soldier: 76, and various
WHERE: All over New Amsterdam
WHEN: Early December
WHAT: Moving in, cheering up, etc!
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Will add if needed.
[ Pre-discussed starters in the comments below! If you would also like to plot something, feel free to PM me. ]
no subject
When he adjusts his pace, she follows suit. But she doesn't expect him to say that, and before she can really think about it, she's smiling back at him. But after a split second, she looks down towards the concrete as reality crashes into her again. That doesn't make her smile any less real, but it does make it a little hard to maintain.]
Yeah. I mean, I'm glad I met you too.
[She isn't sure if anyone besides her has ever felt as if they owed Heine anything, but it's... nice to hear from someone else for a change. She glances up when he points out the bench, and seeing all the greenery and the little secluded area makes her chest feel a little lighter. So she nods, adjusting her course towards the park.]
I'd like that.
no subject
So when they reach the park, he gestures to a bench where they can take a seat. While there aren't any animals to watch or even any children playing (in fact, they're most likely the two youngest people in the small park), they can at least admire the trees and grass.
After sitting there in more comfortable silence for a short while, Sora turns himself toward Nill and holds his hand out to her palm-up. ]
Here. Maybe I can help.
[ If she'll let him. ]
no subject
Sora extends his hand, and she remembers their conversation--about how she said she'd call him if she was feeling sad, so he could practice his power. Then, it had seemed easy; she hadn't been sad. But now that she is, now that he's offering, it doesn't seem so easy.
Or maybe it is.
She trusts Sora, doesn't she? She knows he's offering this because he's a good person. And it might be nice, just for a little while, to not feel the way she does right now. So after only a split second of hesitation, she nods, reaching out to place her hand in his. Even though she tries to hold back, the empathy bond lays bare just how deeply losing Heine has cut her.]
Okay.
no subject
He breathes out through his nose. Feeling that pain is what will allow him to effectively use his power, and so he doesn't dwell on it long. His chest emits a blue light as he activates his ability, and soon enough the empathy bond is overwritten with that power. Nill will feel a wave of calm wash over her. Everything that was upsetting her won't seem so difficult to face all of a sudden, and while the pain won't fade permanently, it will feel a little easier to handle.
For at least a short time, she'll be able to breathe easy. Sora can only hope that she'll take that feeling and hold onto it, that she'll let it buoy her as she presses forward. ]
no subject
Calmness rolls over her like a wave, and she can't help but suck in a startled breath, eyes widening, lips staying parted for a few moments as she reels from this new feeling--or is it a lack of feeling? In the moment, she isn't sure. Everything seems so much... lighter than it did just a moment ago. The fog of grief she's barely managed to hold back all day retreats just enough for her mind to clear, and she realizes that she's grateful that Sora offered to share his power with her. But she also realizes that just because her feelings are suppressed, or hidden, or whatever it is he's doing, doesn't mean they'll go away.
And she finds that she's alright with that. She remembers someone on the ship telling her once that grief is natural. If she let Sora try to take away all the hurt, she feels like it might actually get worse.
Nill slowly lets her fingers close over his, squeezing once and managing to smile.]
Thank you, Sora.
[It's harder than she'd thought it would be to break the contact, but she doesn't know how much this takes out of him, and she isn't keen on letting him feel what she's feeling for too long. So she gently takes her hand from his, settling it in her lap along with the other.]
That's an amazing power. I do feel better.
no subject
When Nill squeezes his hand, he squeezes back, but he makes no attempt to hold onto her when she pulls away. This is all about her level of comfort, and when she decides that she's had enough, that's fine.
It's the smile she musters up for him that makes him feel as if he did his part, and he nods. ]
No problem. Any time you need a little boost like that, you know where to find me. And... when things get rough, just try to remember how it felt.
[ He pauses there, glancing down at his lap. He may have helped, but it all feels so temporary. He knows this isn't a real solution; it's more like slapping a bandage over a wound, rather than healing it.
At first he glances out across the park as he speaks. ] If there's anything I can do to help you get back to him... [ Then he looks back to Nill, setting a hand over his chest which has already lost the blue glow. ] Know that I'll do it.
no subject
[Nill has met very few people in her life she would call selfless, but Sora quickly and easily become one of them. Every time they've spent time together, he's surprised her with his willingness to give, to help. It softens a part of her heart that she'd hardened a long time ago, and she's glad for it. Over the years she's been slow to let herself see the good parts of the world, but Sora makes it less difficult just by being himself.
She bites her bottom lip when she hears his vow, a facial tic she's picked up over the years. Her eyes drop to her lap, mostly so he can't see how glassy they've suddenly become with tears she tries to blink away. He's so nice, and she's in such a rough spot emotionally right now that she can't check how she reacts to it. Eventually she gets a hold of herself, nodding though she still has her eyes glued to her lap.]
Thanks, Sora. I know you will.